CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has some unique foods, especially deep-fried ones. From hand-picked delicacies to Italian classics, when in doubt, deep fry it.
Dandelions
Did you even know dandelions were edible? An Appalachian recipe recommends eating the blossoms deep-fried. While there are several different recipes online, they generally are made with a simple batter of eggs, flour, milk, salt and pepper and take about 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the recipe requires fresh dandelions so you may not want to try it until spring.
Green Tomatoes
This one is more common and can be purchased at a lot of West Virginia and Appalachian restaurants in the early fall and sometimes even year-round. If you grew tomatoes in your garden and a few fell off before they were ripe, this is a great way to use them. Fried green tomatoes are usually made with a simple batter and seasoned with salt and pepper.
Ramps
Ramps are a West Virginia delicacy that have a flavor between garlic and onion and can be used in tons of different recipes. If you enjoy their strong flavor, you can consider eating them with just a simple deep-fry batter. Ramps can be harvested in places like the Monongahela National Forest, with some guidelines, from late April to early June.
Pepperoni Rolls
If you know anything about West Virginia, you probably know that the state is obsessed with its pepperoni rolls. We have some restaurants, like the Donut Shop in Buckhannon, that even make “ramperoni rolls.” But one recently opened restaurant, Mason Jar BBQ in Fairmont, sells deep-fried mini pepperoni rolls, which are 12 News approved.
Pie
Anyone who took West Virginia history knows that West Virginia is home of the Golden Delicious apple. But the state is also home of the fried apple pie or apple hand pie. It is basically a dinner roll-sized portion of bread dough, some even suggest using frozen dinner rolls, stuffed with apple pie filling, fried and topped with cinnamon and sugar.
(Photo from Remont on Wikimedia Commons)